Fraud and bankruptcy for Atlus parent company

I must admit that Atlus is one of my favorite video game publishers. They have brought over several games that are so offbeat that most other publishers are too hesitant to bring to the US. However, some troubling revelations of fraud have been brought up against Atlus’ parent company Index Holdings, and it is possible that bankruptcy is in the works for them. GameInformer has more details.

Atlus has quickly become a powerhouse in the gaming world, bringing unique and clever titles to North American shores. The publisher is largely responsible for a renaissance of interest in traditional roleplaying games. Now, that legacy is in jeopardy.

Atlus’ parent company, Index Holdings, has filed for “rehabilitation” (a form of bankruptcy) due to approximately 24.5 billion yen ($249 million) of outstanding debt. All corporate code is complex, but Japan’s rehabilitation process is streamlined.

With the fraud allegations, this could be bad for Atlus. Without some kind of buyout, we might not see some of the quirky titles that they have published here. As we find out more details, we will keep you posted.